Generation Z Artists

Chapter 325 Finally Filming Begins

The fitting and angle determination process lasted for a full 7 days.

While he might use internet memes, Fang Xinghe couldn't ignore the quality of his work.

Therefore, each important supporting role has two backup options, and the actors are repeatedly tested and revised. Finally, the actors are adjusted based on the actual situation, and even the script is adjusted.

This version of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" has undergone significant changes.

Fang Xinghe never intended to film a second Jin Yong martial arts drama, so he regarded this version of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" as a completely independent work and enriched various details.

The biggest change, of course, is the addition of a grand finale where Xiangyang falls and everyone dies.

Therefore, there will be two major siege battles in the show.

The first battle took place in 1259, when Yang Guo killed Möngke Khan, and the Mongol army hastily ended its first siege.

The second scene takes place in 1273, when Xiangyang falls and Guo Jing, Huang Rong, Guo Polu, Guo Fu, Yelü Qi, Da Xiao Wu, Zhu Zi, Liu Wu, San Tong, and other members of Master Yideng's lineage all perish, ending in a tragic and heroic manner.

From the screenwriter's perspective, a good supporting character is one who dies.

From the director's perspective, the second war scene will feature the grandest fireworks display.

In the domestic TV drama industry, no one has ever filmed a visual spectacle of a large-scale siege in the world of martial arts. Brother Fang wants to try this new approach.

Since he doesn't care about the cost anyway, why be so stingy?

During the siege, dozens of giant cannons were brought in. From a kilometer away, life-sized round stone balls were hurled at the city walls. Guo Jing used the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms to smash them one by one. The missed cannonballs crashed into the city, causing devastation and collapsing houses...

Gen Z viewers, having been exposed to fantasy dramas, may not be particularly impressed by this scene. But what grand scenes had domestic audiences seen in 2003?

Even the mediocre special effects in "The World's Finest" could make a rural boy remember it for twenty years.

When "The Return of the Condor Heroes" goes into post-production, if Industrial Light & Magic is brought in to achieve movie-level special effects, wouldn't domestic audiences go crazy?
As for Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu's whereabouts in the finale, Fang Xinghe had also taken it all into consideration.

They had been living in seclusion for 14 years, completely cut off from news. It wasn't until half a month after Xiangyang was besieged that they learned of the siege while out buying supplies. They immediately went to provide support, but they arrived too late and only witnessed the Mongol cavalry sweeping south after the city fell.

Amidst the chaos of battle, the two killed Liu Zheng, a key figure in the fall of Xiangyang and a traitorous general of the Southern Song Dynasty, before being wounded and forced to retreat under the siege of the main army.

When building cenotaphs for Guo Jing and the others, Yang Guo asked with a heavy heart and a sense of confusion, "Long'er, were we wrong?"

Little Dragon Girl shook her head: "This matter is beyond human control."

Yang Guo remained silent for a long time, then sighed deeply, his expression a mixture of crying and laughing.

The camera zooms out, and down the mountain, the Mongol cavalry resemble black dragons, their invasion as fierce as fire and their rampage as devastating as the wind.

At the mountaintop, a pair of figures, their robes fluttering, stood unharmed yet exuded a profound sense of desolation.

After a long while, Yang Guo turned around first.

"Let's go. The land is shattered, and though the world is vast, there is no place for the two of us anymore. Let's go back, let's go back..."

"As long as I have you, I don't care about anything else."

Little Dragon Girl is still the same Little Dragon Girl, her appearance unchanged and her heart pure.

But Yang Guo was no longer the boy he used to be; he had become more composed and more melancholic.

Faced with the Mongol Yuan dynasty's manhunt, Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü fled overseas, which ultimately led to Guo Xiang's unsuccessful search for Yang Guo for forty years.

Another year, the maple leaves turn red. Guo Xiang stood at Fengling Ferry, gazing for a long time before letting out a soft sigh.

And so, the play ends.

……

The plot of capturing Xiangyang added by Fang Xinghe did not appear in Jin Yong's original work; it was only mentioned briefly in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" through the words of others.

It does not conform to the original novel of "The Return of the Condor Heroes", but it has a serious significance - sublimating the theme.

The original theme of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was "What is love in this world?", while the theme of "the greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people" was only briefly touched upon.

The revised version of Fang Xinghe aims to amplify the patriotism of true heroes like Guo Jing, and to portray the powerlessness of individual efforts in the face of the tides of history.

Fang Xinghe wanted to use Yang Guo's eyes and mouth to remind the audience: What if you are invincible? No matter how strong your martial arts are, they cannot stop the historical trend of dynastic change.

This led to the reflection that "if the country does not exist, what will the skin and fur cling to?"

The tragic heroism of Guo Jing and others, in contrast to Yang Guo's desolation, ultimately leaves the audience with a sense of emptiness and sadness.

If the film is good enough, it will have a strong staying power; as the saying goes, it will get people hooked.

The advantage of this is that it leaves a deep impression and is frequently revisited. In this way, Guo Jing's heroic spirit and Yang Guo's sorrow at losing his homeland will subtly influence the thoughts and values ​​of young viewers.

Young people are the most malleable. When they admire heroes, they gain courage; when they fear loss, they naturally learn to cherish.

In this way, in addition to its enduring commercial value, the new "Condor Heroes" will also possess a grand artistic conception, profound ideas, and a positive and lasting impact.

This is Fang Xinghe's ambition.

……

The changes in the new "The Return of the Condor Heroes" go far beyond these, but we'll leave them aside for now.

In mid-December, the preliminary cast list was finalized, and relevant personnel began on-site training.

After several attempts, the list has changed considerably.

For example, Feng Yuanzheng's acting as Huang Yaoshi was effortless and very wicked, but the problem was that he was too wicked, more like a pervert than a master.

It's not that Feng Yuanzheng can't adjust his image, but rather that his face is just awkward to look at.

After all, "Don't Talk to Strangers" had only been released for a short time, and even though Huang Yaoshi was dressed in ancient costume, the staff and his co-stars still couldn't help but twitch their lips when they saw him.

Well, we have no choice but to replace them.

Then Wang Jinsong defeated Huang Yaoshi, the Eastern Heretic.

Uncle Dong possesses a refined yet sinister charm, deep and composed, making him perfectly suited for roles that don't require explosive power but rely on charisma to command attention.

After the makeup was done, he stood there with one hand behind his back, looking quietly at the camera without saying a word. Immediately, a deep and indifferent aura emanated from him, making people feel intimidated.

To accentuate his charisma, the makeup and styling team specially created a black and white wig and beard, which, when paired with a dark blue costume, made him both restrained and striking.

Jiang Wen also failed to portray Ouyang Feng, the Western Poison, because he was too domineering and lacked cunning.

Before he went mad, Ouyang Feng was a cunning and ruthless man, like a big boss.

After his madness, he was no longer the domineering, boisterous type, but rather a simple stubbornness, compounded by a madness that was completely immersed in his own world.

Fang Xinghe thought Jiang Wen could handle the role and bring out his own style, but he overestimated Jiang Wen.

This guy has his own style of acting, mainly playing a character who doesn't listen to advice, but whose skill level isn't high enough to use his methods to interpret other traits. As a result, he always plays Jiang Wen's roles.

Ouyang Feng's domineering nature cannot be portrayed by Jiang Wen; it must be as innocent as a child's.

Because his mindset isn't "You have to listen to me, I'm sure I'm right," but rather "You have to listen to me, or I'll cause trouble."

Children and madmen are the most justified in their domineering behavior. They are not domineering because they think they are awesome. They have no logic and are straightforward and pure. Jiang Wen, on the other hand, cannot restrain his self-perception of "I am awesome".

That won't work; it's completely unsuitable.

Jiang Wen also tried to take the initiative.

"No way, you have to let me act in it. Aren't you the best screenwriter? Revise the script! If that doesn't work, I'll revise it!"

Fang Xinghe didn't hold back at all and directly retorted.

"Practice makes perfect! You can't even meet such a simple requirement. I really overestimated you. Alright, alright, put my script there and go do what you're supposed to do. Don't make me kick you with a high kick!"

Since returning from Cannes, the two have met a total of four times, but they haven't been able to discuss any collaborations, although they get along quite well personally. Therefore, they don't hold back when it comes to talking.

"So, who do you want to cast for this role?"

"We'll see, anyway, we definitely won't need you."

"Manipulate your nature!"

Fang Xinghe originally thought that this role would take a while longer to develop, but Teacher Feng happily volunteered: I'll do it!
The moment he stepped on stage, the flavor was completely right.

In his mad state, Ouyang Feng stared wide-eyed at people with an innocent, naive look in his eyes. When he killed an NPC, he smashed the NPC's head with a single palm strike, and the splattered brains aroused his curiosity. He raised his hand, smelled them, and seemed to find the taste quite good, then laughed heartily.

When he grinned, the pure, inexplicable joy he exuded was chilling.

"..."

Seeing the judges looking at each other blankly during his audition, they felt that this guy must have some serious illness.

But then everyone looks at Fang Xinghe again, and it seems fitting—a twisted master and apprentice playing father and son, isn't that a match made in heaven? There's bound to be some interesting chemistry!
……

The selection of Guo Jing also went through some back and forth.

Because Fang Xinghe didn't want to use too many Hong Kong and Taiwan actors, it would be best to have one from each side, so many suitable candidates couldn't be chosen.

Zhang Dahuzi suggested that Hu Jun play the role, as Hu Jun's temperament and image had left a deep impression on him during their collaboration on "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils".

As a colleague at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, Feng Yuanzheng also thought Hu Jun was a good candidate, but Qiao Feng had taken on "The Spring River Flows East," and the filming schedule almost completely overlapped with "The Return of the Condor Heroes," leaving him with no time.

After being recommended by many people and auditioning, Mr. Chen Baoguo stood out from all the candidates.

By this time, Mr. Chen had already played Bai Jingqi and Emperor Wu of Han, becoming one of the top figures in the domestic drama industry, and he was very difficult to invite.

But the storyline of Guo Jing in the new Condor Heroes moved him and made him willing to try a martial arts film.

In terms of action scenes, a stunt double is definitely needed, but in the dramatic scenes, he delivered a 95 out of 100.

During the audition, Teacher Chen imbued Guo Jing with an unquestionable sense of authority and gravitas.

His portrayal of Guo Jing emphasizes the composure and fortitude of a "city-defending commander," and a single glance is enough to convince people that he is the pillar of Xiangyang.

Guo Jing's inherent "righteousness" and "majesty" replaced the audience's preconceived notions of "naivety" and "straightforwardness".

This is not a bad thing.

While there will certainly be fundamentalists who dislike this change, any adaptation is a breakthrough and subversion of the original work, and will inevitably be resisted by the original fans. How can we create a new classic if we are afraid of this and that?

Logically speaking, Guo Jing, who had served as the commander of Xiangyang for many years and bore such a huge responsibility, should have been a qualified general, and his chivalrous spirit should have been downplayed.

Fang Xinghe was very satisfied with Chen Baoguo's acting skills.

He was very dissatisfied that Gongsun Zhiliang had done so.

Mouzi refused, disagreeing no matter what.

"I'm too busy making my own movies to have time for a cameo role. Besides, it's not even a cameo; all that back and forth would be too much trouble. No way!"

He panicked, he panicked!
Although he spoke with righteous indignation, Fang Xinghe knew that this guy was just afraid of acting opposite Gong Li.

Well, it's not that I'm afraid. The correct description would be that I don't want to play that kind of scumbag character who flirts with girls recklessly.

It's so embarrassing, and it really damages his image.

Fang Xinghe didn't insist. He was just using him to amuse himself. It's best to leave this kind of role to a professional actor.

As for who it is... it doesn't really matter.

There are proper ways to perform, and there are advantages to being frivolous. It doesn't matter if you're tall or short, beautiful or ugly.

After all, this character is a minor supporting character who serves Li Mochou, Gongsun Lüe, Xiaolongnu, and others. What matters is how he adds emotion to the main plot, not how he himself is.

Even if Huang Bo were to appear, it wouldn't affect the overall quality of the show.

This is the core logic of TV dramas—everything serves the main plot or the core selling point.

Therefore, there are only two types of plays in later generations.

One type of story is driven by plot, while the other type of incident is driven by top-tier celebrities.

The core story of "When the Mountain Flowers Bloom" is about Zhang Guimei, not Song Jia;
The core of "Prosperity" is Hu Ge, not that old and arrogant accident, nor is it Wong Kar-wai.

Once you understand this, you can understand why screenwriters in later generations were constantly forced to revise their scripts.

—In dramas driven by viewership ratings, anyone who is dissatisfied, from the male lead to the fourth female lead, can throw a tantrum. The director is treated like a dog, the producer can't control them, and the investors compromise with each other. In the end, they can only bully the screenwriter.
Looking at those plot-driven suspense dramas, period dramas, and serious dramas, aside from improvising lines, who dares to touch the main structure of the plot?
Wherever the driving force is, that's who the boss is.

That's just how TV dramas work.

Of course, if it's driven by two cores, with both a good story and top influencers, that would be even better, and a huge hit is practically guaranteed.

Fang Xinghe is walking this path.

Therefore, you need to pay as much attention as possible to the main supporting characters, while you can boldly try and do whatever you want to the minor supporting characters as long as they meet their functional requirements.

So, are those female characters who don't actually have many scenes considered main supporting characters or secondary supporting characters?

The same rule applies to online novels: women who have a romantic relationship with the protagonist or are the same age as him are considered major supporting characters and important components of the core selling point.

Therefore, the final lineup can be described as a dream combination for the current era.

Little Dragon Girl: Liu Yifei, no explanation needed.

Guo Fu: Zhang Baizhi, her temperament is a perfect match, and her acting skills have great potential for improvement.

Guo Xiang: Yui Aragaki, with an extremely strong sense of girlishness and an infectious smile. Her acting is immature, but that immaturity is just what makes her so appealing.

Cheng Ying: Zhang Junning. Her high educational background and innate intellectual and gentle temperament are very prominent, which is highly consistent with Cheng Ying's image of a "gentlewoman". She is also the one that Fang Xinghe specially opened up for Wanwan.

Too much of a role is bad, too little is meaningless, giving her an important female supporting character is just right.

Lu Wushuang: Jun Ji-hyun. Her main strength lies in the scene where she pretends to be Yang Guo's wife, which is very natural and full of chemistry. Having become a sensation with "My Sassy Girl," she is perfectly suited to portray Lu Wushuang's fiery personality. With just a little restraint, she can achieve a perfect balance between cuteness and straightforwardness.

Gongsun Lü'e: Sun Yizhen.

Actually, there is a more suitable actress in China for this kind of pure and innocent role... Dong Bailian.

If she were cast as the innocent, kind, and love-sacrificing Gongsun Lü'e, she would surely satisfy all the viewers. But Brother Fang felt she was unworthy; even looking at her made him feel disgusted.

Then they chose from the second-best, and Son Ye-jin, with her clear eyes that seemed to hold tears and her gentle yet slightly melancholic temperament, ultimately won out among everyone.

Thus, the alliance of beauties from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong was officially formed.

Once the list was announced, the 13 Ugly Ones shouted: "The Condor Heroes" doesn't deserve to be called a Chinese martial arts drama at all!
In fact, most of the supporting male actors are mainland Chinese actors, with only three exceptions—Tony Leung Ka-fai, Ken Watanabe, and Choi Min-sik.

The three of them were nominally making cameo appearances out of friendship, but Fang Xinghe actually paid double the usual fee, so they had both face and substance, and their status and importance no longer mattered.

The same applies to Jun Ji-hyun. She was the only supporting actress whom Fang Xinghe actively invited to audition. At first, she declined because it's not easy to become a leading lady in the Korean film industry, and one should cherish their reputation.

But she couldn't withstand Fang Ge's first offensive—"Have you bought an apartment in Seoul's upscale neighborhood yet? No? Come quick!"

The pay for filming this drama is 8 to 10 times that of filming a movie in South Korea, so the "Savage Goddess" carried a plane overnight to China, willingly playing a supporting role.

So, while the 13 ugly ones were being fiercely criticized, the public was in an uproar.

The boys called out to their friends, full of enthusiasm—damn, that son of a bitch Fang Xinghe is eating really well, this show is a must-watch!

The girls didn't need any encouragement; they were drooling and counting down the days, wishing the filming would start today, pass censorship tomorrow, and be released the day after. Every day felt like an eternity.

Amidst a constant stream of headlines, the new Condor Heroes has finally completed its training period and quietly begun filming.

(End of this chapter)